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Tracking fitness progress part of wellness policy
Published 7/4/2009 in Local News : Education
By MONICA SPRINGER
A software program that allows physical education teachers to track students' flexibility, endurance, strength, body mass index and weight will be installed in Garden City schools starting next month.
The program, called Fitnessgram, is part of Garden City USD 457's wellness policy. During a Board of Education meeting earlier this week, the board approved a district wellness plan for the 2009-10 school year.
Tracy Johnson, director of food services, said the policy for the most part stayed the same as the policy from last year.
A change, though, is the software program for PE teachers. Johnson said information on all students in PE classes will be kept so the next year students take a PE class, a new PE teacher can review each student's past fitness history.
A report that came out this week listed Kansas as the 18th-fattest state, according to the Trust for American's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The report said that nearly a third of Kansans between the ages of 10 and 17 are overweight. The report also said that 27.2 percent of Kansans are obese.
This is the sixth year for the "F Is for Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America."
School districts across the state are doing their share to stress the importance of healthy eating and exercise through implementing wellness plans. Johnson said USD 457 will start using Fitnessgram, the software program, this year because PE teachers though it would be a good way to track student achievement in exercise.
Garden City public schools have had a wellness policy since 2006, when it was mandated by the U.S. Department of Agri-culture. To receive state and federal aid, school districts must have a wellness plan.
The plan includes guidelines on student nutrition, nutrition education, fun night activities, healthy fundraising and student PE.
Johnson said there are good things to say about schools in Garden City when it comes to health initiatives, even though the district falls behind on physical activity. Many schools have started walking clubs and host family nights where physical activity and nutrition are stressed.
Also, the policy states that whenever possible, classroom teachers will provide short activity breaks between lessons or classes and incorporate physical activity into other subject areas.
"The district is doing a great job trying to make students healthy," Johnson said. "Healthy students learn."
Other guidelines listed in the wellness policy include not allowing restaurant name brand food in elementary, intermediate or middle school cafeterias at meal times, which includes commercial pizza, fast foods and restaurant to-go meals.
Soda pop also is prohibited in the cafeteria during meal times.
Johnson has said once the new high school is built and open, healthy options will be offered to high school students. The high school now has an open lunch where students can leave high school grounds to eat lunch if they choose.
Johnson said parents should be aware of the wellness policy. The plan is stated in student handbooks at each school and also is available at parent- teacher conferences.
The rules
Foods not allowed in USD 457 schools under the district’s wellness policy:
Soda water, gum, certain candies, hard candy such as lollipops, mints and jawbreakers, jellies and gums, such as gumdrops, jelly beans, and fruit-flavored slices, candy-coated popcorn and others.
Suggested healthy snacks under the wellness policy:
Individually wrapped cheese, yogurt, baked Doritos, frozen fruit bars, graham crackers, individual trail mix, sugar-fee gum, toasted peanut butter crackers and individually wrapped peanuts.
Source: USD 457’s Wellness Policy
Download a copy of the board meeting materials containing the wellnes plan.
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